I'm going to start my Worlds report with how I came around to choosing my deck. About a week after the ECSC I get an IM from Fulop about a crazy new Blaziken deck called InSaNiTy. It included a 4/4 Delcatty and 2/2 Magneton line. Some other unusal stuff included 0 TV Reporter and 4 PETM. After doing some goldfish games I discovered it was not uncommon for the decks field to look like 2 Delcatty, 1 Ton, 2 Blaziken around turn 3 or 4. I liked playing Blaziken to begin with and had no other choices for worlds so I decided to playtest the deck exclusively. It was kept on the down low up until worlds and very few people knew the actual list which was very important for the deck to work. One of the problems with the list was that it still had trouble with consistency sometimes and it still lost to Walrein. I overhauled the list to look something like this:
3 Oracle
4 Rare Candy
3 Copycat
3 Steven's Advice
1 Rayquaza ex DR
4 Delcatty RSH
4 Skitty RS1
2 Multi Energy
1 Desert Shaman
2 Lightning Energy
12 Fire Energy
1 Switch
4 Prof. Elm's Training Method
1 Warp Energy
4 Dunsparce SS
3 Blaziken RSH
1 Blaziken ex MVA
1 Magneton DR1
1 Magnemite DR2
1 Combusken RS2
1 Combusken RS1
4 Torchic DR
The list isn't exact and might not even be 60 cards but it shows the changes. It has about 3-4 more draw cards than the original list which helped out the consistency a lot. The list stayed like this till about a week before worlds. My friend David M. and I were at his house looking at cards. I look at Bellossom and say something like " Wow this owns Walrein." So its added into the deck after David convinces me its worth it. I'm glad he did that. It makes insanity that much more playable. We firmly believe it has 100% good match ups.
I get to the site on Thursday pretty much set on insanity. I meet up with a lot of the NEO crowd and we steal the stage in some huge room. I find out that somehow everyone knows the insanity list and has learned of the breakthrough bellossom tech. There are a bunch of Japanese kids trading for our Magma stuff but I dont really think about it. Bad move there. I stay up till like 1:30 having good times.
Friday I spend most of the day at Animal Kingdom. Then I come to back to the hotel to wait in the long registration lines. I get my crap and meet up with some more late arrivals. Tom Dolezal is convinced insanity loses mirror so we go to test that matchup. After insanity goes like 1-9 we do some major last minute changes. We are pretty confident the list goes atleast 50-50 and our skills will push us over the top. At this point a bunch of people switch from insanity to regular blaziken because of this mirror problem. So Tom, David and me are the only ones left playing insanity. The final list looks like this:
4 Oracle
4 Rare Candy
3 Copycat
2 Steven's Advice
1 Rayquaza ex DR
3 Delcatty RSH
3 Skitty RS1
2 Multi Energy
1 Desert Shaman
1 Lightning Energy
12 Fire Energy
1 Switch
1 Friend Ball
2 Prof. Elm's Training Method
1 Warp Energy
4 Dunsparce SS
3 Blaziken RSH
2 Blaziken ex MVA
1 Bellossom HL
1 Oddish EXP
1 Magneton DR1
1 Magnemite DR2
1 Combusken RS2
1 Combusken RS1
4 Torchic DR
Saturday I go register my deck. Afterwards I hear about this crazy Magma deck that went 7-0 in the grinder. I still don't think that much about it and wait around forever for the event to start up. I sit across from LizardOTC initially and chat with him for awhile. Then they show the final pairings and I find myself across from an Italian lady.
Round 1 VS Team Magma
We have some trouble communicating but pretty much everything runs smooth. She has a pretty bad start as her list isn't as good as the Japanese one. I figure she copied it after the grinder. I don't remember what I start with but I soon get a couple Blaziken rolling and a Bellossom. She continues to go slowly and I power a Bex and KO her benched Claydol. Next turn I switch Bex out and retreat it active again. My 3 Ashes in a row are too much for her to deal with.
1-0
Round 2 VS BAR
This kid must have been in a time capsule for a couple months. His deck is that outdated. No copy or steve. He starts with lone mareep and I get sparce. First turn he para my sparce and I am forced to pass with no draw. I'm getting afriad of him flipping too many heads. Thankfully he gets tails. My turn I topdeck oracle and SARS. He is still going slowly and I'm pretty comfortable I have the game. I oracle for what I need and flash. Next turn I drop the two catty and he can't keep up with no Copycat. He gets some stuff up but my Bex keeps a successful board lock.
2-0
Round 3 VS Blaziken (CFK)
We both get going alright but I get my Bex out first. He goes for a different strategy of Blaziken swarm. I'm pretty much in control the whole game with my Bex KOing whatever threat he tries to build. However his Blaziken damage keeps adding up. When one of my Bex has too much damage I bring out another. With like 5 minutes to go its like 2 prizes to 4. He has about 5 KOs on the board with ATMR though so I shaman to slim his hand. He keeps up the Blaziken swarm and with like 2 minutes left its 1 prize to 4 but he only has to fire stream again to take 5 prizes. His play area is a combusken with a fire and a active Blaziken with 2 energy. I count 17 energy in his discard and field combined. He also has no way to get another blaziken out. The only way he can win before time is if he has a switch. If he evolves benched combusk to Bex it won't matter as one of my two bex can Ash again the turn after. I decide to not take the risk he has switch and do enough moves to take up time.
3-0
At this point there are like 4 people from NEO that haven't bombed horribly.
Round 4 VS Magma
I mulligan 3 times and then start with a skitty. He uses Zangoose to fill up his bench. I oracle for 2 Delcatty as I have another skitty and torchic benched. I lullaby and he flips heads. He retreats zangoose and attacks with groudon for KO. Of course I had no idea what groudon did or I would have retreated. Later on my Bex has 50 and he drops dark, ruins and strength charm on his groudon for the KO. I lose this one pretty bad.
3-1
Round 5 VS Jumpluff/Gorebyss
I knew my strategy vs things with Gorebyss and stuck with it. I Bex a benched clamperl and he hits Bex with another Gorebyss. I drop ton and KO the Gorebyss. From then on regular Blaziken is free to do his magic. He flips some annoying heads but really cannot compete with my huge advantage.
4-1
There is talk about 4-1-2 making top 32 for sure but I decide to keep playing as we aren't definite. Turns out 4-1-2 does make it. OH WELL.
Round 6 VS Blaziken/Lanturn
We tie high roll with 6 four times in a row but I eventually win the roll. We both SARS but his hand is less than spectacular. When he does drop Delcatty, I bex it. His Lanturn KOs my Bex with 2 DRE drops in a row though. He has like 1 Torchic left from the Bex rampage so it doesnt really matter. A couple turns later and his Lanturn dies for the win.
5-1
Round 7 VS Magma
We ID
5-1-1
So I end up 7th seed in top 32. Fulop, Levi, Pooka, Plaid, Colin and Tom make it as well. I'm sure I forgot someone there.
Its getting late so I'll finish this up tomorrow.
3 Oracle
4 Rare Candy
3 Copycat
3 Steven's Advice
1 Rayquaza ex DR
4 Delcatty RSH
4 Skitty RS1
2 Multi Energy
1 Desert Shaman
2 Lightning Energy
12 Fire Energy
1 Switch
4 Prof. Elm's Training Method
1 Warp Energy
4 Dunsparce SS
3 Blaziken RSH
1 Blaziken ex MVA
1 Magneton DR1
1 Magnemite DR2
1 Combusken RS2
1 Combusken RS1
4 Torchic DR
The list isn't exact and might not even be 60 cards but it shows the changes. It has about 3-4 more draw cards than the original list which helped out the consistency a lot. The list stayed like this till about a week before worlds. My friend David M. and I were at his house looking at cards. I look at Bellossom and say something like " Wow this owns Walrein." So its added into the deck after David convinces me its worth it. I'm glad he did that. It makes insanity that much more playable. We firmly believe it has 100% good match ups.
I get to the site on Thursday pretty much set on insanity. I meet up with a lot of the NEO crowd and we steal the stage in some huge room. I find out that somehow everyone knows the insanity list and has learned of the breakthrough bellossom tech. There are a bunch of Japanese kids trading for our Magma stuff but I dont really think about it. Bad move there. I stay up till like 1:30 having good times.
Friday I spend most of the day at Animal Kingdom. Then I come to back to the hotel to wait in the long registration lines. I get my crap and meet up with some more late arrivals. Tom Dolezal is convinced insanity loses mirror so we go to test that matchup. After insanity goes like 1-9 we do some major last minute changes. We are pretty confident the list goes atleast 50-50 and our skills will push us over the top. At this point a bunch of people switch from insanity to regular blaziken because of this mirror problem. So Tom, David and me are the only ones left playing insanity. The final list looks like this:
4 Oracle
4 Rare Candy
3 Copycat
2 Steven's Advice
1 Rayquaza ex DR
3 Delcatty RSH
3 Skitty RS1
2 Multi Energy
1 Desert Shaman
1 Lightning Energy
12 Fire Energy
1 Switch
1 Friend Ball
2 Prof. Elm's Training Method
1 Warp Energy
4 Dunsparce SS
3 Blaziken RSH
2 Blaziken ex MVA
1 Bellossom HL
1 Oddish EXP
1 Magneton DR1
1 Magnemite DR2
1 Combusken RS2
1 Combusken RS1
4 Torchic DR
Saturday I go register my deck. Afterwards I hear about this crazy Magma deck that went 7-0 in the grinder. I still don't think that much about it and wait around forever for the event to start up. I sit across from LizardOTC initially and chat with him for awhile. Then they show the final pairings and I find myself across from an Italian lady.
Round 1 VS Team Magma
We have some trouble communicating but pretty much everything runs smooth. She has a pretty bad start as her list isn't as good as the Japanese one. I figure she copied it after the grinder. I don't remember what I start with but I soon get a couple Blaziken rolling and a Bellossom. She continues to go slowly and I power a Bex and KO her benched Claydol. Next turn I switch Bex out and retreat it active again. My 3 Ashes in a row are too much for her to deal with.
1-0
Round 2 VS BAR
This kid must have been in a time capsule for a couple months. His deck is that outdated. No copy or steve. He starts with lone mareep and I get sparce. First turn he para my sparce and I am forced to pass with no draw. I'm getting afriad of him flipping too many heads. Thankfully he gets tails. My turn I topdeck oracle and SARS. He is still going slowly and I'm pretty comfortable I have the game. I oracle for what I need and flash. Next turn I drop the two catty and he can't keep up with no Copycat. He gets some stuff up but my Bex keeps a successful board lock.
2-0
Round 3 VS Blaziken (CFK)
We both get going alright but I get my Bex out first. He goes for a different strategy of Blaziken swarm. I'm pretty much in control the whole game with my Bex KOing whatever threat he tries to build. However his Blaziken damage keeps adding up. When one of my Bex has too much damage I bring out another. With like 5 minutes to go its like 2 prizes to 4. He has about 5 KOs on the board with ATMR though so I shaman to slim his hand. He keeps up the Blaziken swarm and with like 2 minutes left its 1 prize to 4 but he only has to fire stream again to take 5 prizes. His play area is a combusken with a fire and a active Blaziken with 2 energy. I count 17 energy in his discard and field combined. He also has no way to get another blaziken out. The only way he can win before time is if he has a switch. If he evolves benched combusk to Bex it won't matter as one of my two bex can Ash again the turn after. I decide to not take the risk he has switch and do enough moves to take up time.
3-0
At this point there are like 4 people from NEO that haven't bombed horribly.
Round 4 VS Magma
I mulligan 3 times and then start with a skitty. He uses Zangoose to fill up his bench. I oracle for 2 Delcatty as I have another skitty and torchic benched. I lullaby and he flips heads. He retreats zangoose and attacks with groudon for KO. Of course I had no idea what groudon did or I would have retreated. Later on my Bex has 50 and he drops dark, ruins and strength charm on his groudon for the KO. I lose this one pretty bad.
3-1
Round 5 VS Jumpluff/Gorebyss
I knew my strategy vs things with Gorebyss and stuck with it. I Bex a benched clamperl and he hits Bex with another Gorebyss. I drop ton and KO the Gorebyss. From then on regular Blaziken is free to do his magic. He flips some annoying heads but really cannot compete with my huge advantage.
4-1
There is talk about 4-1-2 making top 32 for sure but I decide to keep playing as we aren't definite. Turns out 4-1-2 does make it. OH WELL.
Round 6 VS Blaziken/Lanturn
We tie high roll with 6 four times in a row but I eventually win the roll. We both SARS but his hand is less than spectacular. When he does drop Delcatty, I bex it. His Lanturn KOs my Bex with 2 DRE drops in a row though. He has like 1 Torchic left from the Bex rampage so it doesnt really matter. A couple turns later and his Lanturn dies for the win.
5-1
Round 7 VS Magma
We ID
5-1-1
So I end up 7th seed in top 32. Fulop, Levi, Pooka, Plaid, Colin and Tom make it as well. I'm sure I forgot someone there.
Its getting late so I'll finish this up tomorrow.
I'll see you on AIM, etc.